The present invention pertains to a composition that can be orally administered to bring intestinal flora to a good state and efficiently control intestinal function, and the use thereof. In further detail, the present invention pertains to a Lactobacillus bifidus growth promoting composition which comprises 1 or 2 or more oligosaccharides selected from lactulose, galacto-oligosaccharide, and fructo-oligosaccharide, and raffinose as the active ingredients, and a blend which comprises the above-mentioned composition and other edible ingredients.
Approximately 100 species of microorganisms and 100 trillion or more individual microorganisms live in the human intestines and form the intestinal bacteria plexus. Intestinal bacteria, such as Lactobacillus bifidus and the like, have a strong relationship with the health of humans, and there are bacteria that are considered to have a beneficial effect on the body and bacteria that appear to generate putrefactive substances and carcinogens, etc., and have a detrimental effect on the body. The distribution of these flora varies with factors such as age, race, lifestyle and environment, diet, etc. Intestinal flora in particular are markedly affected by daily diet. Consequently, diet is very important in enhancing a function for controlling intestinal condition. Commercial milk products, such as yogurt, etc., containing Lactobacillus bifidus for balanced intestinal function have been widely used for years. By means of these products, viable lactic acid bacteria are ingested in order to balance intestinal function.
On the other hand, it is known that sugar sources are very important for intestinal Lactobacillus bifidus growth and various oligosaccharides that are known as Lactobacillus bifidus growth promoters are now being actively used. These oligosaccharides share in common the fact that they are not broken down by human digestive enzymes, they are not absorbed from the intestines, they are selectively assimilated by Lactobacillus bifidus, etc., and many oligosaccharides, including lactulose, various galacto-oligosaccharides, various fructo-oligosaccharides, isomalto-oligosaccharides, xylo-oligosaccharides, etc., are known.
These oligosaccharides have been used in the past in various foods, drugs, etc., for the purpose of forming Lactobacillus bifidus-rich intestinal flora, but they are individually (including mixtures of extracts from starting materials and synthetic reaction products) added or mixed (refer to Bifidus, vol. 6, pages 143xcx9c150, 1993, Bifidus, vol. 8, pages 1xcx9c5, 1994, Japanese Patent No. 2,549,638, Japanese laying open Patent No. 8-256730, etc.). Moreover, the function of these oligosaccharides varies with the type of oligosaccharide and there is a large difference in the extent to which they are assimilated by Lactobacillus bifidus and putrefying bacteria (for instance, Clostridium, etc.). Furthermore, when they are individually used in a product, only the characteristics of the individual oligosaccharide can be realized and sufficient Lactobacillus bifidus growth is not always obtained. Therefore, thus far measures for effectively realizing good balance of intestinal function have not been established.
That is, the following 2 points are important in realizing effective intestinal function balancing activity as a Lactobacillus bifidus growth promoting sugar source.
(1) The sugar source is widely assimilated by the main Lactobacillus bifidus present in the intestines.
(2) The sugar source will not be assimilated by the intestinal putrefying bacteria, or the amount of sugar source that is assimilated by the intestinal putrefying bacteria is low, and the growth (consumption) rate of Lactobacillus bifidus is as fast as possible.
Consequently, it was not known in the past that combining oligosaccharides provides good Lactobacillus bifidus growth promoting effects when compared to the individual use of oligosaccharides, and there was a need for a Lactobacillus bifidus growth promoting sugar source with which the ability to balance intestinal function can be realized.